Concealed suspenders



A. H. GRAVES, DECD.

E. L'. GRAVES, sxzcurmx.

CONCEALED SUSPENDERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7,1917. RENEWED 1ULY29. 1921.

1,398,962, Patented Dec. 6, 1921 SATS E ATEN ALBERT H. GRAVES, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS; EMMA L. GRAVES EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF SAID ALBERT H. GRAVES, DECEASED.

.CONCEALED SUSPENDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rat-eaten Dec. 6, rear.

Application filed June '7, .1917, Serial No. 173,287. Renewed July 29, 1921. Serial Noi488,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Annmar- H. GRAVES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concealed Suspenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in concealed suspenders, and it has for its salient objects to provide a construction which is extremely convenient in the matter of manipulation in casting off and coupling up; to provide a construction which produces a girding effect around the waistband of the trousers and thus avoids the uncomfortable feeling incident to wearing trousers which are neither supported nor belted at the rear of the waistband; to provide a construction in which the hangers of the suspenders are anchored to the shirt so that the underneath parts of the suspenders remain in definitely adjusted position and do not lose their adjustment when the waistband attachments are cast oif; to provide a construction which may be conveniently adjusted to suitable waistband girth and to accomplish this end without leaving loose ends; to provide a construction having waistband attachments which may be quickly and conveniently transferred from one pair of trousers to another; and in general, to provide an improved article of the character referred to.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawing i V. v

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the suspenders in place upon a person;

Fig. 2 shows the upper part of a pair of trousers spread open so as to show the inside of the waistband and with the waist band attachments applied thereto andcoupled to the suspender hangers;

Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of a reeving supportforming one feature of'the sus ponders; I

Fig.4- is aside elevation of the'same;

Fig. 5 is a detail of a take-up device;

Figs. 6 and 7 are frontand side elevations,

respectively, of a preferred form of castofi coupling. 7

There is upon the market, and in use to I a limited extent, a. type of concealed susponders in which shoulder or suspender straps l are connected together approximately between the shoulder blades, as indicated at 2, extend thence up over the shoulders and part way down the front, and attach at the latter point to hanger straps 3 which carry wire button loops 4, and which hanger straps are continued from the point of attachment with said button loops upwardly and rearwardly to points of connection 5 with back straps 6, which latter are also connected at the back between the shoulder blades. This type of suspenders thus provides but a single support at each side; the

button loops being buttoned upon the two side suspender buttons of the trousers, and the trousers left unsupported throughout the front and rear halves of the waistband. My invention combines with suspenders of this general type, supplementary features which effectively support the trousers at additional points; atithe same time produces a girding or belting effect which draws the waistband snugly around the wearer, andfurthermore brings the cast-oft coupling in effect to the outside of the shirt, so that the trousers may be cast-off and coupled on instantly and with the greatest convenience.

Describing these features as embodied in the preferred construction shown, 7, 7, designate two girding strands which, as herein shown, take the form of cords, but may be of bands or strap-like construction. Each strand is provided at one end with a buttonloop 8, and at its opposite end is returned upon itself to form a butt0n-loop 9, the return end carrying a takeup cliplO which .may be adjusted to vary the length ofthe strand. The intermediate part of each strand is trained through a reeving support 11, taking the form in the present instance of a wire ring doubled over upon itself to provide a central downwardly extending "loop 12, two lateral upwardly extending loops 13, 13, and a handle extension 14:. The loop 12 and the handle extension 1% lie in parallel planes; the loopv 12 being adapted to embrace the shank of a Suspender button and lienext to the button while the handle extension 14 lies back against the inside of the trousers waistband.- The loops 13 stand at right angles to the plane of the loop 12 and form'in efiect eyes through which the strand 7 renders. The eye loops '13 are spaced far enough apart so that the strand yb drawn out'between" them while apf 10 comprises two members, viz: a tubular ch 15 clamped upon the end of the cord anc provided at its end with pivot cheeks l6and a biting projection orjaw 17. The

second member 18 is of trough-like construction adapted to accommodate loosely the cord, provided withpivot ears 19 and pivot 1 projections 20 engaged with the cheeks 17 the relation between the two members being such that when they'are brought intoparallel relation the point of the jaw 17 bites into the cord lying in the member 18 and looks it against sliding movement.

Instead of the wire button loop commonly used heretofore on suspenders of this general type, I use a loop which provides a headed hook-like support, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. That is to say, the sides of the loop 4 are brought together and bent to form a hook l, the upturned end portion ofwhich hook takes the form of a triangular head or loop at". This head is to be buttoned through a suitable buttonhole 21 in the shirt so as to expose the hook at the outside, and the enlarged head with its shoulders 4" serves to anchor the suspender hanger reliably t0 the shirt at this point. That part of the girding strand lying between the reeving support and the front suspender button is hooked over the hook and is, of course, free to slide upon the latter. The peculiar arrangement of the supporting straps and hangers of suspenders of this type produces a suspension draft not vertically upward but obliquely from the side button upwardly and rearwardly; This results in producing a girding efiect as regards the front half of the trousers. The fact that the girding strands extend from the cast-off hooksdown through the reeving supports through which they are free to slide or render insures a pursing effect as to. the rear halves of the waistband, thus insuring that thetrousers shall not only fit snugly at the waist but shall produce a trig, comfortable feeling on the part of the wearer. V V

i The girding attachments may remain on the trousers fromdayto day, while the remainder of the suspenders remains with the shirt. 7 y

The facility with which the suspenders may be cast off by simply lifting the girding strands out of the hooks dis obvious. When the girding strands are adjusted to proper length i. 6., to a length almost exactly equal to the distance between the front and back buttons of the trousers, thestrands will be almost completely concealed while being worn. The advantage of having the suspender hangers anchored and attached to the weight of the trousers upon the side body of the shirt is also an obvious advantage. y y p i The constructions shown and. described constitute a preferred embodiment of my invention, but the claims arenot to be understood as limited to. these details, except in n so far as they aremade specific thereto.

I claim as'my invention:

1. In concealed suspenders, the combination with shoulder straps provided with castolf hangers constructed to button to the shirt and reliably anchor said straps thereto, as well while the trousers-supports are cast off and while connected to said cast offs, of a girding strand attachable to the trousers in front and rear. waistband regions, respec- .tively, reeving supports attachable to the waistband and at intermediate points and through whichsaid girding strand renders, and means for coupling intermediate parts of said strand to the corresponding cast off hangers.

. 2. In concealedsuspenders, the combination withv shoulder straps, provided with buttonheaded cast-off hangers constructed to button through the shirt and reliably anchor said straps thereto, as well while the trousers-supports are cast off and while connected to said cast-offs, of flexible girding strands, one for each side, each adapted to be attached at the front and rear of the trousers waistband, reeving supports attachable to the trouserswaistband at the sides of the trousers and through which said girding strands respectively render, and meansfor coupling an intermediate part of each girding strand to the corresponding cast-off.

3. In suspenders, the combination of shoulder straps adapted to be worn'under the shirt and provided with cast-off hangers located approximately above the hips, of a waistband attachment consisting of a strand adapted to be buttoned to-the waistband at the front. and rear regions thereof, and means for detachably coupling the intermediate part'of said strand to thecorrespondingcast-off hangergthrough the shirt.

4. In suspenders, the combination of shoulder straps adaptedv to'be worn under the shirt and provided with cast-offhangers locatedone at each side approximately above the hips, of a-waistband girding attachment consisting of. a strand adapted to be buttoned to thewaistband at the front and rear re gions thereof, a pair of reeving attachments adapted to be secured to the waistband ap;

proximately above the respective hips and through which attachments said girding strand extends, and means for detachably coupling the parts of said girding strand jacent to said reeving attachments to the corresponding cast-off hangers, through the. shirt.

5. In suspenders, the combination of shoulder straps adapted to be worn under the shirt and provided with cast-oft hangers located approximately above the respective hips, of waistbandgirding attachments, one at each side, each consisting of a strand adapted to be buttoned to the waistband at the front and rear regions thereof, and takeup mechanism for adjusting the length of each girding strand, a reeving attachment adapted to be secured to the waistband approximately above the hip, one at each side, and through which said girding strandsrespectively extend, and coupling devices for connecting the respective hangers with the corresponding girding strands, said coupling devices serving normally to anchor the suspender hangers to the shirt.

6. In suspenders, the combination of shoulder straps adapted to be Worn under the shirt and provided with cast-off hangers located approximately above the hips, a castofi coupling upon each hanger constructed to provide a supporting projection exterior to the shirt and to anchor the hanger to the, shirt, girding waistband strands, one for each side, each adapted to be attached to the front and rear waistband buttons of the trousers, a reeving support at each side, adapted to be attached to the corresponding side button of the trousers and through which support the girding strand extends, the intermediate portion of said strand adjacent to the reeving support-being adapted to be detachably connected to the projection of the cast-off coupling.

7. In suspenders, the combination of shoulder straps adapted to be worn under the shirt and provided with cast-off hangers located approximately above the hips, a castofi coupling upon each hanger embodying a' hook adapted to be buttoned through an opening in the shirt, girding waistband strands, one at ea'ch side, each adapted to be buttoned to the front suspender button and to the rear suspender button of the trousers and each provided with a take-up mechanism for adjusting the length of the strand, a reeving support at each side, adapted to be adjustably connected to the corresponding side suspender button of the trousers and through which support the corresponding girding strand extends, the intermediate portion of said strand being adapted to be hooked upon the corresponding cast-off coupling. p

8. In suspenders, a reeving support formed of wire comprising a central downwardly extending loop adapted to embrace the shank of a button, two lateral upwardly extending loops through which a strand may render, and a handle extension extending far enough below the bottom of the central loop to be accessible when the loop is applied to the button.

9. In suspenders, a reeving support formed of wire comprising a central downwardly extending loop adapted to embrace the shank of a button, two lateral upwardly extending loops through which a strand may render, and a handle extension extending substantially below the bottom of said central loop, the upper ends of said lateral loops being spaced away from each other and arranged to lie in parallel planes substantially at right angles to the plane of said central loop.

ALBERT H. GRAVES. 

